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MARTIN R. ETHRIDGE, O 4- LOCKES MILLS, MAINE.

Letters Patent No. 73,589, dated January 21, 1868. l

'IMPROVEMENT IN BOOTS AND SHOES.

TO ALL PERSONS TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS MAY COME:

Be it known that I, MARTINE. ETHRIDGE, of Lockes Mills, in the county of Oxford, and State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Boots or Shoes; and do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the followingspecication, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of whieh Figure 1 is a side elevation,

Figure 2 an under side view, and

Figure 3 a transverse section of a boot provided with my invention.

This boot has an inexible or sti' sole, D, made of wood, and arranged directly upon andover the insole E. On the wooden sole D is a. layer, C, of hair or other suitable elastic material. This mass of hair is kept in place by a covering, B, of leather, which is carriedover it, and lapped around the edges, and'carred down, underneath the sole D, to and against those of the insole E, and, with the upper, A, is sewed to such insole by sewing, as shown at c c.

Against the insole E, an outer sole, F, of sheet metal is placed, the outer surface ofthe said insole being rst covered-with a layer or cap of gutta percha,w'hich may be extended through openings, a a, in the metallic solo, and ll such openings, in order to prevent the sole from slipping on ice or a smooth surface, when the boot or shoe may be in use. The layer of gutta percha also serves to protectthe insole from water or moisture. The metallic-cap sole is to be fastened in place by screws,'s s s, and serves to protect the sole F from wear, and to make a goodfinish to the boot or shoe. I l

Prior to the application of the metallic sole to the insole E, a. last is to be applied to the shoe. A welt, G, made of leather or other suitable material, and triangular in section, is also to be applied `to the shoe, and between the upper, A, and the metallic sole F, and to extend from the heel, on both sidesof the shoe, to and around the toe, such welt or finishing-piece being held in place by screws, ZJ b, going through the'metallie sole, and beingvsprewed'into the welt or through it, and into the wooden sole D. This welt, G, gives to the sole of the boot the appearance which a cork-sole boot usually has, and isotherwise advantageous.

My improved boot or shoe, insome respects, isl somewhat similar to that described in Letters Patent No. 56,391, granted to me, July 17, 1866. Like the shoe or boot represented in such Letters Patent, my present invention has a metallic outer sole, a 'hair' cushion, and a wooden sole; but their arrangement with respect to the upper is quite dierent, for, in my present invention, theupper, A, as well as the coveringB of the cushion or mass of hair C, is carried around the edges of the wooden sole, and, underneathsuch sole, to the leather insole E, and is sewed thereto, which is not the case in my shoe described in the said patent. Furthermore, I` employ the finishing-welt Gr to go directly between the metallic sole and the leather upper, without being stitched to the latter, or to thesame and the insole, as is the case with the two welts a b, represented in the drawings of the specification of such patent.

My finishing-welt, by being fastened in'place by screws, as set forth, is easily renewable, and, when worn, l can be separated from the shoe, and another put in its place, without destroying the connection of the upper' and insole.

What I claimas my improvement., is-

1. The new arrangement ofthe upper, A, and the cushion-cover B with the wooden sole D, and the leather sole E placedunderneath the said wooden sole, the upper, A, and the cover B, under such arrangement, being carried around the edges of the wooden sole, and being sewed to the soleE, as specified. j

2. And, in combination with the wooden sole, cushion-cover, upper, and metallic sole, arranged as described, I claim the nishing-welt G, applied between the upper and the metallic sole, as set forth.

MARTIN R. ETHRIDGE, Witnesses:

C. Cnocxnn,

K. J. COLE. 

